Nintendo Co Ltd, a company that emerged from the ashes of North American video game crash of 1983 and brought home-console gaming back to mainstream with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), is now launching a new console Nintendo Switch.
In the recent years, Nintendo has lost its edge and is struggling to maintain its position in the current console industry that is dominated by giants like Sony and Microsoft. With its last gaming console, Nintendo Wii U, completely bombing, the company is fighting hard for a comeback with this new console.
Nintendo Switch is an innovative device that, as the name suggests, switches between home and portable console playing. This means that the new Nintendo console is a hybrid that can be played either at home or out and about. The switch will be launched on March 3, 2017, in Europe and USA with a price tag of $299.99.
Nintendo has decided to risk it all this time, merging its hand-held consoles and home console into one, which means that if the switch fails to do the magic, Nintendo has nothing to fall back on to cover the losses. However, relying on what we know about the switch, it might just give Nintendo the push it needs.
First of all, the idea of Switch on its own is brilliant, mobile gaming is on its peak and every person that owns a smartphone is passing his or her free time by exercising their thumbs. Nintendo has decided to merge both console and mobile gaming with a tablet-like game console, which would not only cater to the hardcore gamers, but will also fulfill the craving of the mobile gamers.
Secondly, the variety of controllers it offers, the big new innovation is the Joy Cons that can be used in four different ways. They can be used while connected on the sides of the tablet, not connected to the tablet, as motion sensors, like the Wii, and each Joy Con controller can serve as a complete joystick for multiplayer gaming. Also, Nintendo is using games cards instead of Blu-ray Discs for games, which allows more memory and freedom to the developers.
Though a bit late, but Nintendo is also launching its online service like the PS Plus and Xbox Live. This will allow online multiplayer and if Nintendo can produce highly competitive games with great online modes, this will earn them bucks as well. It’s free at launch, so consumers can have an idea of what it offers.
Also, Nintendo has learned from its mistakes and has taken a different approach this time in terms of marketing their new console. Marketing played a huge role in the disaster that was Wii U. Firstly, Nintendo was unable to communicate to the consumers that what the Wii U was and gamers were confused that whether it’s an add-on for the ‘Wii’ or a totally different console. Now, Nintendo is trying to change its image as a family-friendly company that only caters to children and people with nostalgia of its golden days, which can be seen in its reveal trailer for the Switch Nintendo. As Nintendo has not shown any kids in the trailer and is targeting mostly college students or people with jobs and a busy schedule.
Lastly, the reason for which people buy a gaming console, the games. Nintendo in its recent press event confirmed that the new Zelda game- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild- would be among the launching titles. They also revealed the new Mario Kart, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and many other titles. According to Nintendo spokesperson, the company is currently working on 80 games for the said system. This would be enough to attract consumers to the store, but the privilege Switch has, which the Wii U did not, is massive third-party support. Developers like EA, Bethesda Softworks, SEGA and many others are developing games for the system and making full use of the innovative technology.
These factors can assure that history won’t repeat itself for Nintendo, but still the company is now far from its golden day.